Update! After a miserable Saturday afternoon reinstalling (4 hours)...I have the pleasure to report a "Meatloaf" like success rate. The 3 functions linked to the parking brake besides the actual Parking Brake engagement functions 1.Warning light 2. Auto release 3. Backup lamps 1 the Warning lamp works!...had to shim the rubber block that hits it with a washer to make it consistently release the sensor switch. No apparent adjustment. the rubber block surface is indented after years of resting on the switch and I assume there has been some rubber shrinkage. 2. Auto vacuum release works GREAT.....I need to clean up the vacuum lines a little. 3. Backup lamps...nope...not as they should...I have to jiggle the shifter arm to be rewarded with my right rear lighting up. below is the standard backup switch I pulled off the column..it never worked properly either.
I don't know about your wife, but with my wife, my Ranchero would be WAY down on her priority list if the house caught on fire! She would be sorry that my Ranchero went up in flames (and it really is MY Ranchero), but there are other items that can't be replaced that would come first. Joseph
It wasn't until after I bought my '64 that I realized that it doesn't have back-up lights! I think '65 was the first year for that. Joseph
So, at this point, are rear bumpers an option on new trucks? I don't see bumper-less trucks on the lots anymore, but I don't know if they've been mandated or if it's just become a selling point. Joseph
Nope! Option on '65 and down. (at least on manual trans) Mine doesn't have them. Speaking of which I am thinking of adding them as a far down the road project. Being that it is a 4 speed I would need a bracket and the proper switch attached to the shift linkage. Anybody got pictures?
Interesting. I thought that the center of the rear lens was clear on the '65, indicating that they were part of the package. I didn't realize backup lights were an option. I thought it was a safety thing, like horns or seatbelts. My '64 didn't come from the factory with seatbelts. The PO had drilled holes in the floor, but not added belts. I went ahead and put in lap belts. I figured that since it's an in-town car, I didn't have to cobble up some three-point system. Yes, safer, but I'm not sure where/how I could anchor the chest belt on a '64, without ruining the "feel" of a skateboard with an engine. Joseph
Only way it has a clear center lens is if some one changed them out or had a "dealer installed kit" Safety was not a major concern in mid '60s and below
When Mom and Dad bought their '66 VW Bug Cabrio new, Dad opted for the reverse lights (attached to the bumper overriders) and turn signals (Amber lenses in the top of the rear lamp assemblies and front lenses on the top of the front fenders) at extra cost.
Reverse lights were an option up thru 1967 on nearly all Fords and Mercurys. Seen plenty Galaxies without them. Started seeing lenses for reverse lights on nearly all 1967's but still no bulb sockets or wiring. I think the Feds mandated them in 1968 along with an outside mirror, sun visors, lap belts, colapsable steering columns, and got rid of the metal horn rings in the steering wheels.
This got me wondering about all of these safety features. On the DMV site, I found all of these requirements for passenger vehicles, although they didn't specify what years. Afterwards, I realized that California sees my Ranchero as a commercial vehicle, not a passenger vehicle. I'm not going to argue with the man, and there's a reason for all of these safety features, but I am curious about what is legally required. Joseph
What is required was what was on the books at the time of your car's build. When the FMVSA was put into law, older vehicles were grandfathered in, and states cannot have separate laws on safety.
FMVSS 108 deals with automotive lighting. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standard_108
I've always grumbled about my '64 Ranchero being classified as a "commercial vehicle." Like I really use it to make a living. Heck, some realtor with a BMW who slaps a magnetic sign on the door uses the vehicle as a commercial vehicle! But this did get me wondering about passenger vehicles vs commercial vehicles, and the laws governing each. How far can I flaunt the intention of the law, while still following the letter of the law? Hmmm ... Joseph
